February 12, 2018

Q. Tough opening draw to get started. Talk about that match. It was a good match, very tight match. How do you think you came through it?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah. Of course. I was expecting a tough match against Anastasia. It's always tough. We know each other really well and played so much great matches, and yeah, for an opening match it wasn't an easy draw, I would say. And I made my decision not to play Fed Cup to prepare for the tournament, and our girls they played against Russia and now we play -- Anastasia also didn't play Fed Cup, so we played like kind of first round here.

But you know, I felt I came here a little bit earlier, a few days before just to get used to the balls, the courts, to play outside again. And I think it helped, I played the good match for the first round, and yeah, I hold my nerves and I will just right there in the right moments, and yeah, hopefully I'm going to continue, and I will just play better and better each match. And I feel like I'm playing well. Just I need to get more matches in a row to win, to get the confidence, and it's really nice to win such a tough match in the first round.

Q. Just in terms of skipping Fed Cup and training and focusing on that, what has been your training focus after the Australian Open and did you see what you were working on kind of translate today?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah. It was pretty sad with my performance at the Australian Open because in Sydney I played really well, and I just felt good. And at the first match against Kanepi, I was really flat. So it was one of those bad days. And then after I played in St. Petersburg, and it was not easy because my coach is a Fed Cup captain. So he was -- during that week he was with the girls practicing, and I was just in the other place practicing without him. So it was tough one, and he's not here with me. But I'm just trying to do my best. I'm very experienced player, and I was working on just my serve and all that stuff because playing wise I feel really good. So I'm just trying to put into the matches and get some more matches to win in a row.

Q. You've played well here before. What do you like about Doha as a city and the tournament as a host and hospitality?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah. I haven't seen much from the city. But the tournament is really, really nice. They're taking care of the players. And we love the hotel. We love the site. We have a lot of courts to practice. The surface on the centre court and off courts is the same, so you can practice anywhere, anytime you like. And it's just nice tournament to be, you know. And this year is a big one. Last year I play here semifinal, it was the smaller. And yeah, I just always like to play here, the surface, the balls just suits my game.

Q. And how is it being motivated when there's less people in the crowd than maybe a Grand Slam?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah. Of course. You cannot pay attention to that, you know. You just play for yourself, and yeah, sometimes there are tournaments that on the first round it's hard with the crowds, not so many people coming out. But if you focus on your game, you just not pay attention. I didn't really pay attention there are not so many people. It's just about you on the court. And Monday first round, I think it will be hard to get a lot of people anyway, anywhere in the world.

Q. And in terms of coaching, how important is having the chance to have on-court coaching and how hard is it without your coach here not helping? Do you use it a like? Do you like it?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yes. I'm the kind of player that I really use it a lot. And it helped me in a lot of matches because when my coach comes on the court and I'm in the mood that I can take his advice and I'm able to do it on the court, then sometimes he can really help me, just tell me, okay, Domi, be more calm, and okay, this is working; you just have to keep going, she hit some good shots. So yeah, this is something I really love, and I'm one of the players that really use on-court coaching, and it helped me to go through some matches in my career.

Q. Domi, are you following the Olympics at all?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, I do. Just some of the disciplines. I really like hockey and our guys, they're going to be playing I think in two days. And my fitness coach, he's also their fitness coach. So I'm in touch with him. He just wrote me after the match like, "well done, Domi, you played well. We play against Russia in two days, too. So hopefully we're going to be the same, successful." So this is my way. I'm following a little bit. I'm following -- we have two very good women skiers, so I don't know when they're going to be competing, but I know they have a good chance for medal, so I wish them luck. And yeah, this is what I -- this is what I look on in Olympics.

Q. Is there any Olympic sport that you -- like winter Olympic sport that you think you would have been good at or would have loved to try?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Wow, I don't know. It's hard to tell.

Q. Or even just something you'd love to just try it?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Just to try. Ski for sure.

Q. Skiing downhill or moguls or jumping?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: No. The regular like downhill. Not the crazy one that you go crazy fast like Lindsey Vonn. Not that one. But like a slope. This one I could try.

Q. Do you ski at all?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yes. When I was little, my dad he was really good at skiing. And yeah, when I was little I did a lot of different kind of sports, and this was one of them. So since I was really little, we were skiing, and I loved it. Actually, I wanted to do it like professional, but it's really hard thing in Slovakia with the conditions. So then when I tried my tennis, my parents told me, okay, this would be a better sport for you.